There is one new case in Christchurch being reported today, which is being classified as a border case.

The case is a child and is isolating at home with family. Locations of interest in relation to this case will be posted to the Ministry of Health website.

The case travelled from Auckland to Christchurch on Thursday 25 November on Air NZ Flight NZ8475 arriving in Christchurch at 10.50am.

Anyone who is considered a contact of this case will be contacted directly. Unless you are contacted you do not need to do anything other than watch for symptoms and get tested straight away if you develop any symptoms of COVID-19.

This case travelled from London to Doha on 16 November and Doha to Auckland on 18 November. They left managed isolation last week and tested positive on their Day 9 test while in home quarantine.

Every new case is an urgent reminder to get tested if you’re feeling unwell. Testing at high numbers will help to minimise and contain the spread of COVID-19 in Christchurch.

There is good testing capacity across the city today and over the weekend. Testing locations throughout Canterbury can be found on the Canterbury DHB website.

The Ministry continues to ask people in Canterbury to regularly check the Ministry’s locations of interest page.

If you haven’t had your first dose yet, or are overdue for your second dose, there’s plenty of capacity at vaccination clinics in Canterbury this weekend.

Omicron variant
Health officials continue to assess the latest international information on the new B.1.1529 variant, which the World Health Organization has named Omicron.

As a precaution, and based on advice from the Director-General of Health, the Government yesterday added nine countries in southern Africa to the very high risk countries list, placing additional restrictions on travel into New Zealand.

Knowledge about this emerging variant is in its infancy and the MOH is closely watching and monitoring evidence and countries’ responses.

Vaccine-producing companies will now start assessing any impact the strain will have on vaccine efficacy.

There is no change to the advice on booster vaccines, which is for people over-18 to get their booster dose at least six months after their second dose.

”There’s no need to rush to get the booster. The science shows fully vaccinated people remain really well protected from infection, and from being seriously ill if they do get COVID-19.”